Alves Clashes With Vick Friday at Universal Orlando

In the 1990s, Universal Studios Florida in Orlando was a dream vacation spot for any child with cable thanks to its Nickelodeon Studios wing. While Nick’s TV production packed up and left Universal Studios for the greener pastures of Los Angeles, CA for good after its Splat! late-afternoon block ended early in the fall of 2004, with the wing closing the next spring due to Nick relocating its central Florida footprint to Holiday Inn,  Universal Orlando itself is still going strong.

Years later, Universal Orlando finds itself as the host site for the beginning of a packed weekend of competitive violence before the Fourth of July holiday approaches late next week inside the United States. Four weeks removed from the Karate Combat pit setting up shop in Austin, TX, Universal Orlando’s backlot is where the pit shows up next.

Friday night, Karate Combat returns to UFC Fight Pass and YouTube for Karate Combat 47. Live coverage begins at 6:30 pm ET/ 3:30 pm PT with a 30-minute countdown show before the fights themselves start at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT. All told, counting submission grappling and influencer fights, Karate Combat 47 features a full 12-fight slate, including some catchweight affairs.

UFC Alumni Do Battle in Catchweight Main Event

One such catchweight fight occurs during the Karate Combat 47 main event, a contest pitting two former UFC competitors. Rafael Alves (22-12 combat sports, 1-0 Karate Combat) meets James Vick (16-8 combat sports, 1-0 Karate Combat.)

Given that no championship is up for grabs, the Karate Combat 47 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at three minutes per round to close the show. If, however, the scorecards produce a draw after three rounds, it progresses to a fourth round to break the deadlock.

Should that round produce a draw, the fight will end that way.

The full KC47 lineup for next week. 👀

9 Karate fights. 🥋
2 Pit Submission matches. 🤼
1 IFC Featured Bout. 🔥#KC47 | June 28th | Orlando, FL pic.twitter.com/wMHJPhQvuk

— Peculiar Punch (@PeculiarPunch) June 22, 2024

Karate Combat 47 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the Karate Combat 47 main event, Janes Vick stands as the taller contestant at 6-foot-3, compared to the 5-foot-8 frame of Rafael Alves. Vick owns an eight-inch reach advantage (76 inches to 68 inches) over Alves.

No betting odds have been released for Friday’s Karate Combat 47 at press time. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Rafael Alves Looks to Run Winning Streak to Three

Rafael Alves enters Karate Combat 47’s main event on Friday night having posted a record of 3-2 in his last five fights dating back to his UFC tenure in 2021. Most recently, he notched a unanimous decision victory over Efrain Escudero (32-18 combat sports, 0-1 Karate Combat) after four rounds due to the scorecards initially producing a draw after the contracted three-round length in late February.

This was his second win in succession for the former UFC welterweight after CEO Dana White showed Alves his walking papers early last year. Prior to his current winning streak, Alves had dropped two fights in succession and he was cut from MMA‘s top promotion in March of 2023, a decision that proved controversial among UFC fans.

Every fighter has bad stretches once in a while during his or her combat athletics career, but Rafael Alves was shown the door by Dana White despite having potential to do some damage in the UFC. Can he continue to do some damage in Karate Combat 47? Tune into the main event and find out.

James Vick Eager to Start Winning Streak of His Own

In the other corner, James Vick has posted a mark of 1-4 in his last five fights across combat disciplines. On April 1, 2023, he saw a two-fight losing streak get snapped thanks to a unanimous decision victory over Gabriele Cera (3-6 combat sports, 2-5 Karate Combat) in Karate Combat 36.

Last week, Vick took to his YouTube channel to discuss his opponent.

“He’s super fast, very athletic, very explosive, but he’s very short,” Vick said. “I think that he has a lot of attributes that favor him and I have a lot of attributes that favor me, but I really like the matchup. I think it’s a great matchup for me and I plan on showcasing my skills and getting the win.”

Vick mentioned that a victory here could put his name in the conversation for a shot at the Karate Combat Welterweight Championship in the future. Only time will tell.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the Karate Combat 47 main event looks to favor James Vick, a boxer with a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, compared to Rafael Alves’ status as a Muay-Thai and jiu-jitsu fighter.

Look For Alves to Kick His Way to the Win

Rafael Alves can control the momentum of the Karate Combat 47 main event if he varies his offensive attack to his advantage, like he did in the first round against Escudero in February. With under a minute to go, Alves unloaded a series of kicks to his opponent’s calf, damaging his lead leg in the process and causing Escudero to limp his way back to his corner at round’s end.

Any time that a fighter can cause his or her opponent to struggle to get back to the corner during a contest, it’s a bonus. If he can do that against James Vick, he could find himself victory bound once again.

Vick Can Keep Guys Guessing

In the other corner, James Vick subscribes to a more varied approach when it comes to shots, as seen in his contest versus Gabriele Cera last year. Following a feeling-out process early on in the first round, Vick used his footwork to force Cera to back himself up against the wall of the pit before landing a kick to the leg and throwing a few punches, along with blitzing his way to a two-punch combination in the round’s final seconds.

This pace continued throughout round two, with Vick mixing up his strikes and throwing in feints from time to time to keep Cera honest, before landing a crisp uppercut. During the third round, Vick landed a quick burst of ground and pound shots

A varied offensive prowess will make an opponent pay all night long. If James Vick mixes up his strikes on Friday, the Karate Combat 47 main event will be a successful one.

Final Thoughts

This looks to be a fun scrap on Friday night. Don’t miss the Karate Combat 47 main event.

Prediction: James Vick by Unanimous Decision.